Signs Of the Times

Church leaders have issued a mixed report on the health of the nation’s Catholic schools. In 2015 Catholic schools served nearly 24,000 fewer students than in 2014, although 14 new schools opened across the country.The assessment was issued on March 29, the opening day of the National Catholic

Pope Francis in his Palm Sunday homily on March 20 decried what he called indifference to the refugees flooding into Europe, making a comparison to authorities who washed their hands of Jesus’ fate before his crucifixion. The pope abandoned his homily text to lament Europe’s handling of

A Catholic aid official warned that church life faces “grave disruption” from Boko Haram in Cameroon, and a local bishop said the Nigeria-based group had caused a “psychosis of fear.”“This movement opposes all Western values and is also hostile to Muslims who won’

With Massachusetts facing a growing epidemic of opioid addiction, the state’s Catholic bishops urged in a statement released on March 2 that action be taken to quell the epidemic. “The abuse and misuse of opioids has become a national and local epidemic…. On average, four people lose t

Imagine turning on the tap in the morning and seeing something that “looked like toilet water coming out of your faucet,” in the words of one Catholic leader. That’s been the reality facing thousands of residents of Flint, Mich., every day for more than a year. Now, imagine looking

Israeli restrictions on reaching the Church of the Holy Sepulcher for Holy Week and Easter are part of the current Israeli government’s policy of making Jerusalem an exclusively Jewish city, Yusef Daher, secretary general of the Jerusalem Interchurch Center, alleged in March. Deploring the net

On March 18 Vatican officials confirmed a papal visit to Armenia was “being studied” but denied that it had already been set for June 22-26. • The John Paul II Medical Research Institute in Iowa City is launching a research program to pursue treatments for a variety of rare, genetic